The invention relates generally to recirculation baffles, and more particularly recirculation baffle with flexible corners to control airflow through the radiator and into the engine compartment of a motorized vehicle.
This invention is applicable to the radiator apparatus of a motorized vehicle. The recirculation baffle apparatus is secured to the radiator of a motorized vehicle, and creates a seal between the radiator and the vehicle hood. The seal created by the recirculation baffle creates a cooling package of air, in the portion of engine compartment that the radiator draws air from to cool the engine, by preventing the hot air discharged by the fan from recirculating from behind the radiator and through the engine a second time. The seal created by the recirculation baffle also channels the air through the radiator and into the engine more efficiently.
In the current recirculation baffle assembly used in the motor vehicle and trucking industry, the recirculation baffle component is a three piece assembly including one upper and two side portions. Each piece of the assembly is formed separately by a traditional injection molding process. After each piece of the assembly is molded, all three pieces must be manually assembled to create the final recirculation baffle component. The additional step of assembling the components of the recirculation baffle after each piece of the assembly is molded is time consuming and costly. After the recirculation baffle is assembled, additional tooling is required to adjust the recirculation baffle to fit each specific radiator it is being installed on.
The present invention provides a recirculation baffle assembly with flexible corners that is molded in die draw and does not additional tooling after the molding process is complete. The flexible corners on the recirculation baffle of the present invention provide cost savings in both manufacturing and packaging of the recirculation baffle, as well as provide dampening from vibrations normally transferred from the upper portion to the side portions of the recirculation baffle.